Top 50 places to live

Mercer consulting firm have released their Top 50 list of places to live ranked in terms of measures of quality of life. The place I live (Toronto) holds in 15th place. That ranks it as the 2nd top North American city behind Vancouver (in 4th place)

Here is the complete list

1 VIENNA AUSTRIA
2 ZURICH SWITZERLAND
3 GENEVA SWITZERLAND
4 VANCOUVER CANADA
4 AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND
6 DUSSELDORF GERMANY
7 MUNICH GERMANY
8 FRANKFURT GERMANY
9 BERN SWITZERLAND
10 SYDNEY AUSTRALIA
11 COPENHAGEN DENMARK
12 WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND
13 AMSTERDAM NETHERLANDS
14 BRUSSELS BELGIUM
15TORONTO CANADA
16 OTTAWA CANADA
16 BERLIN GERMANY
18 MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
19 LUXEMBOURG LUXEMBOURG
20 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN
21 PERTH AUSTRALIA
22 MONTREAL CANADA
23 NURNBERG GERMANY
24 OSLO NORWAY
25 DUBLIN IRELAND
26 SINGAPORE SINGAPORE
26 CALGARY CANADA
28 HAMBURG GERMANY
29 HONOLULU, HI UNITED STATES
30 SAN FRANCISCO, CA UNITED STATES
30 HELSINKI FINLAND
30 ADELAIDE AUSTRALIA
33 PARIS FRANCE
34 BRISBANE AUSTRALIA
35 TOKYO JAPAN
35 BOSTON, MA UNITED STATES
37 LYON FRANCE
38 YOKOHAMA JAPAN
38 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM
40 KOBE JAPAN
41 MILAN ITALY
42 PORTLAND, OR UNITED STATES
42 BARCELONA SPAIN
44 WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES
44 OSAKA JAPAN
44 LISBON PORTUGAL
44 CHICAGO, IL UNITED STATES
48 MADRID SPAIN
49 NEW YORK CITY, NY UNITED STATES
50 SEATTLE, WA UNITED STATES

The Ottawa Nightmare Before Christmas

The Coalition Accord presented in Ottawa yesterday by the Opposition party leaders may sidestep another immediate election, but it is unlikely to produce good strong stable government to guide us through the tough economic times we face over the 1 to 2.5 year fixed life contemplated by the proposed alternative government.

To my knowledge there is no precedent (even at the provincial level) in Canada for the vice-regal to permit a change in government to swear in a tri-party coalition headed by a party controlling less than 25% of the parliamentary seats in the legislature, where the two coalition partners' combined MPs outnumber the lead party's seat tally and where the PM designate will be a lame duck who has resigned and is scheduled to be replaced as leader (and PM) in 6 months.

The last time a coalition government served federally was in WWI when Tory PM Borden invited Liberal party members into his caucus. It is impossible to make a credible case that the current economic crisis requires a broader coalition to fight than the first world war.

Moreover, the growing perception among many Canadians (outside the Ottawa - Toronto - Montreal power corridor) is that this coup is a central Canada hatched backroom power play to rob the periphery of the legitimate political power earned in an electoral process that handed Harper a stronger mandate in October. The front page story in the Globe today reporting that Liberal leadership aspirants Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff cemented the deal over dinner in Iggy's luxury condo in Toronto's tony Yorkville (apparently he doesn't live in the Etobicoke riding he represents), only adds fuel to that simmering fire.

There is also a lingering suspicion that the economic statement (as partisan and ideologically provocative as it may have been) is more of a justification for the timing of the pre-planned power play than a legitimate reason provoking it (especially since the Tories have already backed away from the party funding and public sector strike freeze components of the package and pledged to deliver an early budget to offer more targeted fiscal stimulus).

What is the likely outcome of this period of tumult on parliament hill? I believe Harper is likely to play for time in order to mount a full frontal PR counter-offensive against the coalition plan. In that vain, he is likely to delay introduction of any confidence motions in the House and/or to ask the Governor General to prorouge parliament early for the Christmas recess (on the pretense of allowing the government time to prepare a full Budget to address the Opposition's expressed concerns). Strategically, it would be better for Harper to be defeated in the House on a full budget implementation bill containing fiscal stimulus "goodies" than to fall on a motion to implement the fiscal restraint measures outlined in the Economic and Fiscal Statement.

There is virtually no chance that a partisan scrapper like Harper will graciously hand over the reins of power quietly (as Dion called on him to do in Question Period yesterday.)

Among the open questions that Harper is likely to provoke in the Tory PR campaign expected to launch ASAP:

1. Is it legitimate for Dion-- a leader whose was so soundly rejected in the last election that he was forced to resign as Liberal leader-- to inherit the PMO for the next 6 months as a "lame duck"interim PM?

2. Is it legitimate for a leader chosen by a handful of Liberal party partisans to assume the PMO thereafter without seeking mandate from the broader electorate for up to 24 months following replacing Dion?

3. Does the NDP have sufficient depth of talent among their elected MP caucus to fill the 6 ministerial and 6 parliamentary secretary positions they have been allocated in the coalition Cabinet?

The next few weeks should be very interesting ones for Ottawa-watchers!

Another federal election?

The Opposition parties in the federal parliament are vowing to vote against the confidence motion the Tories will introduce on Monday to implement proposals contained in the economic and fiscal update statement presented by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in the House of Commons yesterday.

The main bone of contention seems to be the plan to end on April 1 the $1.95 per year per vote subsidy paid from the fisc to political parties in order to save $30 million annually. The Opposition parties are more dependent on this funding than the Tories (even tho the Tories receive the biggest subsidy, having attracted the most votes) because the CPC has been more successful in their grassroots fundraising campaigns to solicit private donations.

If a compromise cannot be reached and the government falls on Monday's vote, there are two possible outcomes:

1: the three Opposition party leaders could unite as a coalition and seek the Governor Generals' approval to form a government to replace Stephen Harper's current government

or

2. the Governor General could drop the writs for another election to be held in the dead of the Canadian Winter

Does any Canadian voter want an election re-run so soon on the heels of the last one (which didn't resolve much in terms of the composition of the House of Commons)? Does it make sense for the reins of power to be handed over to a coalition headed by a party (the Liberals) with a lame duck leader (Dion) who has resigned and is scheduled to be replaced early next year?

Methinks the party leaders should grow up and reach a compromise. In these hard global economic times, Canada needs steady united political leadership, not more fractious partisan bickering.

2:1 seat sales for oversize flyers-- fair?

Earlier this week the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal (brought by the Canadian airline industry) of an earlier Canadian Transportation Agency ruling requiring airlines to allocate two adjoining seats (for a single fare) to passengers that are “functionally disabled by obesity”.

I have been considering the broader implications of this precedent. I believe the Supreme Court should have heard the Appeal and reversed the Agency’s ruling. This is not because I do not believe that Canadian business should be free to operate with cavalier disregard for the rights of the physically impaired to be free from unfair discrimination. It is also not because I am insensitive to the comfort and space needs of heavier people.

If there are extra seats available on a particular flight, I am sure most passengers would be more than obliging in re-juggling their original seat assignments to vacate the seat adjoining that occupied by a heavier person, in order to allow everyone more personal space. Doing so makes practical good sense and hurts no one. But increasingly, I find myself boarding flights that are fully booked and bearing a full passenger load. Vacant seats seem to be more and more of a rarity. In this age of soaring energy prices and fuel surcharges, airlines seem to have done a stellar job of realigning adjusting their fleet capacities and scheduling to “right size” capacity to optimize passenger loads at near capacity.

Against this backdrop, I believe the Court should have considered whether it is fair and appropriate to spread the costs of the second seat allocated to the heavier passenger across the fares of all paying passengers flying in the aircraft. Consider that most airlines currently charge an economy fare passenger who overpacks a surcharge for checking overweight luggage or pieces in excess of the allowable limit. The Court should have likewise considered whether it is fair and inappropriate to deprive a standby passenger of a seat because two seats need to be allocated to a heavier passenger flying on a confirmed basis.

This decision could actually compromise the interests of "aerotubbies" by subjecting them to derision and scorn by fellow lighter passengers forced to endure a flight in cramped close quarters (particularly longer passengers), particularly if other family, friends or associates were left on the ground waiting on a standby seat assignment.

While I realize that body shape and weight may to some extent be traceable to genetic hereditary factors, a bigger cause relates to lifestyle choices (the ability to balance caloric intake of food to physical activity levels). It is entirely possible for the obese to control their weight by modifying their own behaviour. They can begin to make healthier (lower fat and calories) food selection and to increase their level of physical activity. By providing a free seat reward to the obese, subsidized by all passengers, are we not incenting bad lifestyle choices and penalizing better choices? Are we not providing one less reason for an obese person to make positive changes in their lifestyle to slim off some pounds?

Some alcoholics contend that their alcoholism is a condition akin to a disease-- that they develop an addictive dependency on alcohol that compels them to drink. And yet airlines, in the interest of safety, routinely deny boarding to passengers that are obviously intoxicated, under the influence of alcohol. No one contends that taking such action discriminates against persons with a physical disability.

The court should have also considered the broader implications of where this decision might lead? This precedent could lead us down a very slippery slope. Could the obese now demand that car dealers sell them larger (mid size) cars for the price of sub-compacts or threaten to bring a class action alleging discrimination? Could the obese now demand that supermarkets sell them two pounds of ground beef for the price of one or that McDonalds sell them two Big Macs for the price of one on the grounds that a larger stomach takes more to fill by threatening to bring a court action alleging discrimination?

The practical implications of the decision also need to be vetted:

Where does one draw the line between being clinically obese and just plain fat?

Will travel agents be expected to validate that a passenger is, in fact, obese, in order to qualify them to receive two seats for on fare?

Will travel agents be required to inquire about a persons’ weight (at the risk of offending them) in order book a heavier passenger on the correct fare basis?

What if a passenger loses or gains weight in the interim period between reserving their flight and the date of travel?

Ultimately, I think this decision has the potential to lead to increased marginalization of obese people in Canada. Heavier people who might have, prior to this decision, been completely willing to pay two fares, to book on a first or business class (instead of economy) basis or to simply contend with the discomfort of accommodating their hefty girth in a single seat, may now find themselves subject to the hateful scorn of resentful fellow passengers jealous of their larger (same priced) flying space.

Have any other jurisdictions in the world passed similar rulings in favour of obese passengers? Or is Canada on the vanguard of championing the rights of the obese? I fear the rest of the world may regard we Canadians with puzzled bemusement on account of allowing this decision to stand. In my view, the decision pushes the boundary line of tolerance and accommodation well beyond where it ought reasonably to be drawn.

Flu shots at work?

The flu season is fast approaching.

I live in the Canadian province of Ontario- a pioneer in providing free flu-shot vaccinations to its citizens. There are a number of venues you can report to in order to receive a free flu shot. Many Ontarians prefer to get them at their family doctors. Others go to public health clinics dedicated to administering the shots. However, workplace flu clinics have also gained in popularity recently.

In Toronto, many major commercial office tower property managers (like Brookfield, Oxford and Cadillac Fairview) arrange flu clinics for tenants in their buildings. Similar to blood donor clinics, these may be set up in building lobbies or in particular designated rooms on the tenants’ premises. A certified health care professional comes into the workplace to administer the shots.

While it may make good sense to administer flu shots in the workplace (employees find it convenient while employers have a stake in the process since immunization may help to reduce flu related sick day absences), this development does pose a number of interesting workplace ethics issues.

A friend related an incident that occurred in her workplace a year ago. One of the partners in the legal firm she works at fell seriously ill with a rare medical condition called Guillain-Barré (G-B) syndrome and had to be hospitalized. He was perfectly fit (regularly worked out and was very conscious of eating a balanced diet) prior to contracting G-B. Receiving a flu shot is the expected cause of his G-B. (See a related news story here)

This has caused me to do much thinking about the pros and cons of workplace immunization programmes.

Consider the following (purely hypothetical) scenario (which will serve to highlight my concerns):

A Human Resource department official sends out the following mass e-mail to all Company employees

“The Company is pleased to be sponsoring an opportunity for employees to obtain a vaccination to immunize against influenza this year. Please call or e-mail our receptionist if you wish to make an appointment to receive a flu shot. For further information about the benefits and risk of influenza vaccinations, please consult the following government website”

In response to this e-mail, a manager in the accounting department forwards the HR e-mail to her team of six employees, adding this message at the top of the thread:

“Please e-mail HR to set your appointment date ASAP and copy me on that reply so I have a record of your status. We have lost too many work days to illness already this year and we cannot afford to have anyone off with flu because they failed to get their shot. I will expect anyone who fails to follow these instructions and who later calls in sick with flu symptoms to provide me and/or HR with a note from their family doctor confirming that they received a flu shot at his or her office.”

In response to this e-mail, three employees make appointments with the receptionist and report for a flu shot at the appointed time and receive a medical release outlining the risks. They then take the following actions:

Employee 1 signs the release without reading it. She is allergic to eggs and has a severe allergic reaction shortly after receiving the shot. The nurse calls an ambulance and she is rushed by paramedics to a hospital ER in an unconscious state. She fully recovers.

Employee 2 also signs to sign the release without reading it. However, after witnessing the medical emergency situation involving employee #1, she is shaken and declines to follow through and take her shot.

Employee 3 signs the release after reading it. He proceeds to get his shot. He develops G-B syndrome a few weeks later, is hospitalized for a prolonged period and suffers related paralysis that precludes him from ever returning to work. He files for LTD benefits with his employer’s health benefits insurer. After conducting an investigation, the insurer sues the employer to recover its claim costs, citing negligence in the administration of the flu shot programme they sponsored.

Employee 4 arranges a business meeting that conflicts with her immunization appointment to excuse her from reporting at the appointed time

Employee 5 declines to make an appointment because he received a shot at his family doctor’s office a week ago

Employee 6 declines to make an appointment because he has an irrational fear of needles and often faints when his skin is pierced by one. He fears being embarrassed in front of co-workers

Employees 2, 4, 5 and 6 end up developing flu symptoms sometime later.

Employee 2, remembering her boss’s e-mail and not wanting to arose her ire, reports to work with flu and promptly infects 3 others in the workplace while there

Employee 4 calls in sick and her absence is excused by her boss on account of copying the boss on the e-mail to HR arranging a workplace vaccination appointment (which she failed to keep)

Employee 5 calls in sick and is challenged by his boss to produce a letter certifying that he received a flu shot from his family doctor. The doctor charges him a $60 fee to write the letter. He is forced to bear that cost.

Employee 6 calls in sick and is likewise challenged by his boss to produce a letter certifying that he received a flu shot from his family doctor. He is unable to do so and the boss recommends his termination to HR He is fired with cause and denied any severance or employment insurance benefits. A month later he returns to the workplace with a rifle and shoots his boss, employee 2 and 5 dead. Employee 1 is injured in the shoot-up but survives and eventually recovers. Mewnhile, employee 4 is ill at home with flu that day and escapes unscathed!

Considering the actions of all the individuals in this hypothetical anecdote, which parties do you believe acted responsibly or irresponsibly? Your comments are welcome!

A creative idea for the TTC

In this era of high oil prices and global warming, the need to upgrade our transit infrastructure takes on a new urgency.

I have an innovative ancillary revenue generator proposal for the TTC to consider: Auctioning off naming rights to their subway stations to bidders from corporate Canada. Winning bidders would get a 10 year renewable naming license, exclusive to a particular station. I expect Yonge-Bloor, Union and King would attract the highest bids while lesser travelled stations like Royal York, Chester and Main Street would be relative bargains. Sorta like the monopoly board properties (Union and Yonge-Bloor would be the Boardwalk and Park Place while Chester and Royal York would be the Baltic and Mediterranean Ave.)!

The winning corporation (in exchange for the promotional benefit of having a station bearing their name listed on subway maps / station signage and X% of the advertising space in the station) would be required to bear the capital and operating costs of maintaining the interior and exterior of their adopted station to certain minimum standards prescribed by TTC management (which I expect would be exceeded as every corporation tries to outdo the other in “beautifying” the station that bears their name!) Perhaps the corporations will want to adopt stations close to their corporate headquarters

Just think of it: King Station could soon be known as TD Financial Station. Union could become RBC station, Yonge & Bloor could ne renamed Manulife Station, Wilson as Bombardier Station, Islington as Tim Hortons Station, Eglinton as Canadian Tire Station, Finch as Magna Station, McCowan as ctvglobemedia Station ... and so on!

If you think this idea has any traction, spread it around and talk it up with your city councillor!

Fearless US election forecast

I am predicting a big win by Senator Barack Obama in tonight's US Presidential election.
Obama should smash through the 50.1% level of popular support attracted by Jimmy Carter back in 1976 (the highest tally by a recent Democratic winner) to become the first northern liberal elected to the Oval Office since JFK.
Based on my review of recent polling data, I expect Obama's popular vote percentage to exceed John McCain's by at least 8 percent and his electoral college vote total to be between 100 and 200 votes higher than McCain's. Obama will most likely double-up on McCain's electoral college vote tally. I do not expect McCain to win more than 20 states.

I am going to be aggressive in predicting the size of Obama's electoral college victory, as follows:

Obama-Biden 369
McCain-Palin 169

I have not been following the House and Senate races very closely, but suffice it to say that the Democrats should make big gains in both houses.

Toronto ranks high in global cities index

A new Global Cities Index compiled by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and published in FOREIGN POLICY magazine has ranked Toronto 10th overall in its list of Top Global cities comprehensive index and 4th in the cultural experience category.

The other dimensions ranked included business activity, human capital, information exchange, as well as two additional dimensions of what makes cities global: cultural experience and political engagement

The 20 Most Global Cities

1. New York
2. London
3. Paris
4. Tokyo
5. Hong Kong
6. Los Angeles
7. Singapore
8. Chicago
9. Seoul
10. Toronto
11. Washington
12. Beijing
13. Brussels
14. Madrid
15. San Francisco
16. Sydney
17. Berlin
18. Vienna
19. Moscow
20. Shanghai

Check out this link for further details

Fearless Canadian federal election prediction

Based on a review of recent polls, I am predicting that Canadians will re-elect a minority Harper government based the following forecast party seat total results following tomorrow's vote count. The Liberals stand to lose the most seats. It appears Harper's crime and culture policies will reinforce the BQ's Quebec coalition to prevent Harper a majority by building on the Quebec beach-head the CPC established last election. Harper should however improve his seat total in Ontario (outside the 416) tho, thanks to the NDP siphoning off traditional Grit support. Look for the NDP popular vote level to be closer to the Grits' level than the Grits tally is to the CPC total.

my prediction
CPC 135
LIB 83
NDP 36
BQ 53
OTHER 1

Great Debate Night in Canada / US

The consortium that will broadcast the Canadian federal election debates has announced that the English language leaders' debate will take place on Tuesday October 2nd. This timeslot conflicts with the US Vice-Presidential debates where GOP nominee (and political neophyte) Sarah Palin will face off against Democratic Party nominee (and political vet) Joe Biden. This will force the (thin) ranks of political junkies to choose which debate to watch live and which to PVR. (For my part, I will be off cruising in the Mediterranean that night, so I will likely see neither!)

The debates could be pivotal in determining whether Harper gets his majority (which looks within his reach, given recent poll results that show PQ support in Quebec in freefall outside of Montreal) and whether the surprise choice of the inexperienced Palin (who looked shakey in her first major post RNC convention media interview (with Charles Gibson) last night) will help or hurt McCain's chances in November.

A tale of two elections

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit Governor-General Michaëlle Jean tomorrow morning at 8:05 to ask her to dissolve the Canadian Parliament. Election day is expected to be called for Oct. 14. The federal election campaign will then take place over 38 days, two days over the minimum.

Meanwhile the US presidential election campaign has finally kicked into high gear with the two party's conventions having wrapped up with their tickets in place. The US presidential election process kicked off back on January 3 (with the Iowa caucuses) and will not end until the November 4 election date... that's a period 11 months in duration.

So the two election campaigns north and south of the 49th parallel will run concurrently now.

It is interesting to me that Canadians can complete in 38 days what it takes its neighbour to the north 11 months to complete!

Obama hits the Big 50

Barack Obama has broke through the pivotal 50% popular support threshold in both major national voter intention daily tracking polls (Gallup and Rasmussen) for the first time this week.

This renewed popularity reflects the surge coming out of the Democratic convention last week and the fallout over McCain's unexpected announcement of Sarah Palin as his running mate last Friday.

Meanwhile the GOP convention in St. Paul was disrupted by Hurricane Gustav on Monday and anti-war protesters yesterday, limiting McCain's ability to lever that forum to bounce back.

The tide certainly seems to be turning back in Obama's direction!

Fall federal election?

With the Summer parliamentary recess set to expire and the Commons scheduled to resume sitting this Fall, speculation about a date for the next federal election is heating up. Although PM Stephen Harper passed a fixed election date law earlier in his term that does not require an election until next Fall, it is unusual for minority parliaments to last for a full term and this particular minority government has already set a record for longevity. The two smaller opposition parties (the BQ and NDP) have made no secret of their desire to defeat the Harper government for some time, however rookie Official Opposition leader Stephane Dion has been biding his time, fearing a loss to Harper in the next election could prove fatal to his leadership.

A number of by-elections dates have already been set for early Fall which would become redundant in case of a general election call. Most pundits seem to believe that Harper will at least recall parliament to sit for a few weeks, to gauge its temperature and validate his claims that it is dysfunctional, in order to engineer his own downfall. This would help him justify a premature election call to voters. On the other side of the Commons floor, Dion also risks appearing like a weak leader seeking to avoid a test mano-a-mano against Harper out on the hustings if he does not take the election bait soon. Many of the local Grit candidates are said to be chomping at the bit, tired of being put on indefinite hold awaiting the campaign call.

So it appears almost inevitable that the next Canadian general election campaign may wind up overlapping with the US presidential election campaign. Current popular support polling levels suggest that an election would probably return another hung government although which party (Liberal or Conservative) would win seat gains or sustain losses in the battle for the plurality of the votes riding by riding would still be up in the air.

In any case, Fall is shaping up as an interesting season for political junkies like me!

Obama's lead still secure: new poll

UPDATE: Two other new polls (CBS and Time) confirms the AP poll results claiming Obama continues to lead McCain by at least 5 points in popular support.


An Associated Press-Ipsos poll released today shows Obama ahead of McCain by 6 points -- 47 percent to 41 percent. This conflicts with two other recently published polls that suggested the race was tightening.

The new poll shows Obama continuing to attract large pluralities among women, ethnic minorities and younger voters. Obama leads McCain by 13 percentage points among women, by 30 points among voters younger than 34 and by 55 points among blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.

Obama an Olympic sponsor

Barack Obama’s campaign yesterday entered a deal with NBC to purchase $5 million in national ads to air during the Olympics, beginning August 8.

Details: http://adage.com/article?article_id=129853

Obama maintains his lead

There is a new NBC-WSJ poll out that shows Obama maintaining his lead over McCain at 6 points in the US presidential race.

I am not surprised, as everything continues to swing Obama's way:

Obama's 9 day foreign trip is receiving favourable media reviews so far (as he moves out of the Middle East and into Europe).

Meanwhile McCain's age is being raised again as a result of numerous recent gaffes he has made.

Obama's poll leads widens

I am following the US election closely and am a big Obama booster. His lead over John McCain has suddenly widened (to 6 points) in the latest daily Gallup tracking poll. Speculation is that this bump is due to his current swing to the MidEast and Europe.

Details below:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/108961/Gallup-Daily-Obama-leads-McCain-Six-Points.aspx